Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of anti-social behaviour orders during the last four years.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office had begun a review of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland but this was superseded by the 2008 Criminal Justice Inspectorate's review of antisocial behaviour orders.
	The review concluded that there has been a sensible approach to the introduction of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland. The review also highlighted that antisocial behaviour orders are used as part of a staged approach to tackling antisocial behaviour alongside other interventions such as warnings and acceptable behaviour contracts.

Cabinet: Glasgow

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) officials of his Department accompanied him to Glasgow for the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2009;
	(2)  what car journeys he took in attending the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(3)  how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(4)  what expenditure on  (a) travel,  (b) accommodation and  (c) food (i) he and (ii) officials in his Department incurred in connection with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009.

Jim Murphy: I was accompanied by one official and one special adviser and undertook one car journey when attending Cabinet in Glasgow on 16 April 2009.
	For information in relation to the Cabinet and public engagement event held in Glasgow on 16 April I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 487W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to answer Question  (a) 273945,  (b) 273946,  (c) 273947 and  (d) 273948 tabled on 5 May 2009 on the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow.

Jim Murphy: These parliamentary questions were answered today.

Members: Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 31 March 2009 from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on his constituents in Macduff.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	As the letter concerned policy within BIS's remit I answered the hon. Member's letter on 20 April 2009 and will send an additional copy to his office.

Motor Vehicles: Foreigners

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to his answer of 11 June 2009,  Official Report, column 959W, on motor vehicles: foreigners, what steps his Department takes to enforce compliance with the requirement to re-register foreign-registered cars after six months of using UK roads.

Paul Clark: holding answer 19 June 2009
	 The Department for Transport operates a strategy of education, warning and direct enforcement to help compliance with the requirement to re-register foreign vehicles after six months using UK roads. Education activities have involved presentations to community leaders, articles in the media, the issue of information leaflets and warning notices placed on vehicle windscreens. At the point a warning is delivered the vehicle details will be recorded. This allows the length of time a vehicle is likely to have been circulating in the UK to be calculated. If a foreign registered vehicle is believed to have been in the UK for more than six months, the police or local authorities with devolved authority or NSL Ltd. have the power to wheel clamp and impound unlicensed vehicles.

Crimes of Violence: Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 954-55W, on crimes of violence: reoffenders, what the conviction rate was for persons charged with murder who were notified to the National Offender Management Service in each year since 2006-07.

Jack Straw: Further to my answer of 11 June 2009, the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007, published on 30 October 2008 record that, for 2006-7, 74 offenders who were under the supervision of the Probation Service were convicted of murder, and for 2007-8, 47. These figures, together with those provided in my earlier answer, show that, at the time OMCS 2007 was published, murder convictions as a proportion of serious further offence notifications for murder were 57 per cent. for 2006-7 and 4 per cent. for 2007-8. However, at the time of publication, not all cases had gone to trial.
	The Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2008, which are scheduled for publication on 31 July 2009, will contain serious further offence convictions and other outcomes for 2008-9 and updated figures for 2007-8.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (i) all staff and (ii) senior Civil Service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made.

Jack Straw: The information requested is as follows.
	 Staff on core Ministry of Justice terms and conditions (including HMCS, Tribunals Service and MoJ HQ)
	Payments of non-consolidated performance pay are paid to high performing staff to reflect their individual contribution during the previous performance year. In the Ministry of Justice, the performance year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Therefore, 2007 -08 was the relevant performance year for the payments made during the financial year 2008-09
	For grades below the SCS, non-consolidated performance pay is paid to those staff who have been judged to have consistently exceeded their objectives throughout the performance year under the Ministry's performance management system.
	During 2008-09 1,676 staff were paid £2,011,200 in non-consolidated performance pay.
	 Staff employed in the NOMS Agency (including Public Sector Prisons)
	In the HMPS, the performance year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Therefore, 2007-08 was the relevant performance year for the payments made during the financial year 2008-09
	For grades below the SCS end of year end performance bonuses are paid to staff who have consistently exceeded their objectives throughout the performance year.
	During 2008-09 5,332 staff were paid £1,325,952 in non-consolidated performance pay.
	We are unable to ascertain performance payments made for Probation HQ staff who now fall within NOMS (but were within the Home Office during the reporting period) as figures for this group were not separated from the Home Office total.
	 Senior Civil Service
	For Senior Civil Servants in the Ministry of Justice and agencies (whose pay terms are set by the Ministry of Justice) end of year payments of non consolidated performance pay are allocated by the Departmental Pay Committee in accordance with guidelines issued by Cabinet Office each year following the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations.
	During 2008-09, 159 members of the Senior Civil Service were awarded end of year performance pay. The amount paid was £1,648,000.

Homicide: Sentencing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average sentence was for offenders convicted of attempted murder or conspiracy to murder in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The requested information is shown in the following table. The data shows the number of persons sentenced in the last five years, for attempted murder or soliciting or conspiracy to murder and the average custodial sentence length (ACSL). ACSL excludes the growing number of indeterminate sentences.
	These are given to the most serious offenders and may cause ACSL to appear lower in recent years.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced, number of indeterminate sentences and Average Custodial Sentence Length (ACSL)( 1) , for attempted murder( 2)  or conspiracy to murder( 3) , 2003-07 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Attempted murder  
			 Total number sentenced 94 96 66 79 87 
			 Total indeterminate sentences 14 14 9 37 44 
			 ACSL (years) 11.3 11.3 11.8 11.8 13.4 
			  Soliciting or conspiracy to murder  
			 Total number sentenced 29 10 13 13 21 
			 Total indeterminate sentences 9 0 0 5 10 
			 ACSL (years) 10.4 10.8 8.6 12.0 6.6 
			 (1) Excludes life/indeterminate sentences (2) Common law (3) Offences Against the Person Act 1861 S.4  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system  Source:  OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	This data is based on the principal offence. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence, the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences, the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.

Young Offenders: Education

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2009,  Official Report, column 894W, on young offenders: education, how much the Youth Justice Board was allocated for expenditure on education in each year since 1999.

Jack Straw: Funding was not allocated in 1999-2000, as 2000-01 was the first year in which the Government provided funding to the Youth Justice Board for expenditure on education.
	The following table therefore shows for each year from 2000-01 to 2008-09, (A) the total funding which the YJB has allocated for expenditure on education from its Ministry of Justice (and previously Home Office) grant; and, (B) the amount of DCSF (previously DFES and DFEE) funding allocated to the YJB for education expenditure.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  MoJ/HO funding allocated for expenditure on education by the YJB  DCSF/DFES/DFEE funding allocated to the YJB for expenditure on education 
			 2000-01 12 5 
			 2001-02 14 10 
			 2002-03 16 10 
			 2003-04 18 12 
			 2004-05 18 15 
			 2005-06 21 19 
			 2006-07 22 22 
			 2007-08 24 22 
			 2008-09 26 23

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Romsey of 11 May 2009,  Official Report, column 519W, on anti-social behaviour orders, on what date data for anti-social behaviour orders 2007 will be published.

Alan Johnson: The publication date for the antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) 2007 data has yet to be confirmed.

Departmental Contracts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 289-90W, on departmental contracts, what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost of the contracts awarded to each of the other organisations and bodies including named individuals was in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

Alan Johnson: The tables, based on centrally held management information, provide the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost of research contracts let by the Research, Development and Statistics group within the Home Office, awarded to organisations and bodies not funded by the higher education funding councils in 2007-08 and 2008-09. This includes contracts awarded to individuals who, whilst employed by an institute supported by the higher education funding councils, undertake work in a private capacity. The purpose is taken from the project title held centrally. The values of contracts are classified in the year the contracts were let; some of the costs for the contract would be for future years, as in the case of the largest contract listed—the £15 million for the British Crime Survey of which the majority of costs will be spread over three years. The costs of each contract represent the estimated cost at the time the contract was let and not on the actual costs incurred.
	
		
			  Table 1: Contracts awarded by the Research, Development and Statistics group within the Home Office to organisations and bodies, including named individuals, not funded by higher education councils in 2007-08 
			  Organisation  Title of project  Cost (£ ) 
			 Analytica Analysis of IPCC and Biometrics Registration Code of Practice Consultations 59,000 
			 BMRB British Crime Survey 15 million 
			 Dr. F. MacDonald Fish Welfare (Animal Procedures Committee) <10,000 
			 Dr. Ronald Clarke I-phones—research on he impact that the launch of the i-phone on crime levels and patterns in the USA <10,000 
			 Eurasylum The use and effectiveness of automated passenger border entry and exit systems: learning from experiences in other countries to inform BIA's automated clearance strategy 90,000 
			 Evidence Led Solutions Neighbourhood Policing—BCU Process Evaluation; and, A worked anonymised example of a strategic assessment <10,000 
			 Garry Robbins Quality Assurance of the Missing Data <10,000 
			 Geoff Berry Associates Neighbourhood Policing—BCU Process Evaluation <10,000 
			 HVR Consulting Quality Assure the Crime Reduction Modelling Methodology 15,000 
			 ICPR, Kings College Evaluation of the Licensing Act 2003 <10,000 
			 Independent Social Research Evaluation of neighbourhood policing: the experience of black and minority ethnic residents in the first year of implementation 11,000 
			 Institute for Employment Studies Understanding the perspective of potential sponsors on Points Based System (PBS) sponsorship arrangement 21,000 
			 Ipsos MORI Exploration of Regional Variation in Uptake of Powers used to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour 40,000 
			 Mark Underhill Consultancy Services to Home Office Forensic Science Regulation Unit 80,000 
			 Matrix Protective Service Evaluation (2 projects); and, Routes of Trafficking 489,000 
			 Morgan Harris Burrows Neighbourhood Policing—BCU Process Evaluation <10,000 
			 MVA Consultancy Analysis of IPCC and Biometrics Registration Code of Practice Consultations 90,000 
			 NatCen Extension of Use of FIP System; and, Evaluation of Intensive Family Intervention Projects 47,000 
			 ORC International Home Office Staff Survey 67,000 
			 Perpetuity Research and Consultancy TGAP—research on a variety of projects and interventions to tackle gangs and gang related crime. 50,000 
			 Professor Anthony Culyer Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor C. Dustmann Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor C. Godfrey Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor C. Hale Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor Clive Smee Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor M. Waterson Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor R. Vickerman Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor S. Machin Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 Professor S. Pudney Economic Strategy Panel <10,000 
			 RED Scientific Big Picture Plant—Whole System Modelling 20,000 
			 Risk Solutions An Evaluation of Alcohol Arrest Referral Schemes 150,000 
			 Robert Bramley Expert advisor to the Forensic Science Regulator Unit 13,000 
			 Transparency Research Ltd. Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP): a process and impact assessment 70,000 
			 York Consulting A review of theoretical and practical issues in the conceptualisation and measurement of labour shortages, skill shortages and skills gaps 15,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Contracts awarded by the Research, Development and Statistics group within the Home Office to organisations and bodies, including named individuals, not funded by higher education councils in 2008-09 
			  Organisation  Purpose (title of project)  Cost  (£ ) 
			 Alex Hirschfield Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team <10,000 
			 Evidence Led Solutions Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team (RRAP) and Senior Advisor Extension <10,000 
			 Geoff Berry Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team <10,000 
			 Ipsos MORI Neighbourhood Policing—Phase 2 (2 projects); The migrant survey: a feasibility study; and, Business Crime Survey scoping exercise: Methodological work to consider the scope and feasibility of developing a new survey to measure commercial victimisation. 229,000 
			 Julia Wickson Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team <10,000 
			 Mike Maguire Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team <10,000 
			 Morgan Harris Burrows Regional Team Advisors to the Regional Research and Analysis Team <10,000 
			 ORC International 2007 Staff Survey (Amendment 2) 64,000 
			 UCL Consultants Senior Advisor Extension <10,000

Terrorism

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 373W, on terrorism, how many people have been trained under Project Argus; and what the cost of the Project has been to date.

Alan Johnson: The police National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) advise that over 900 Project Argus events have been held since January 2007 with attendance at each event falling in the range 20 to 120. NaCTSO estimate that the cost of developing the various versions of Project Argus to date is about £380,000. Project Argus events are generally hosted by the business which requested it, and are delivered by police Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) who also perform other protective security functions.

Digital Broadcasting

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 981W, on digital broadcasting, for what reasons the Ulster region was the only region not to have an indicative take-up figure.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 19 June 2009
	In February, the sample size used for research in the Ulster region was too small to give a reasonable indication of take-up. However, since then the sample size for Ulster has been increased as the programme moved forward, and the DigitalUK tracker now estimates current take up at 74 per cent.

Digital Technology: Mass Media

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding will be made available for the pilot independently-financed news consortia announced in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Ben Bradshaw: Funding for piloted news consortia will be determined following the consultation outlined in the Digital Britain Report and an examination of the scope of commercial revenue that could be achieved. The current cost of broadcast regional news in the nations ranges from 4 million to 7 million per nation per annum.

Digital Technology: Mass Media

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for how long the pilot independently-financed news consortia announced in the Digital Britain White Paper are expected to last.

Ben Bradshaw: Pilots are expected to commence in 2010 and run until the end of 2012. This timetable will be subject to review.

Digital Technology: Mass Media

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when tenders will be invited for the pilot independently-financed news consortia announced in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Ben Bradshaw: Our intention is to begin the pilots in 2010. The process for tender and award is currently being developed.

Digital Technology: Mass Media

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who will take decisions on tenders for the pilot independently-financed news consortia announced in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Ben Bradshaw: The process for tender and award is currently being developed.

Mass Media: Wales

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the merits of establishing a media commission for Wales.

Si�n Simon: Government do not propose centrally to fund a new media commission for Wales as the costs have to be set against the other options and priorities for Government, especially as replicating media commissions in each of the UK's nations would substantially increase the overall costs. The Government are proposing to fund a piloted English language news provision in Wales.

Earth Hour

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to support Earth Hour on 28 March 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 26 March 2009
	I apologise for the delay in this response. The Government are committed to achieving a successful outcome to the negotiations in Copenhagen later in the year, and campaigns such as Earth Hour play an important part in sending a strong message to world leaders that firm public support for positive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions comes from all parts of the globe. To show support for the campaign the lights were turned off in several Government buildings including the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Warm Front Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints have been received by his Department from customers alleging excessive charges for work undertaken under the Warm Front scheme in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: The Department has not previously recorded the total number of complaints in this respect, though procedures have now been put in place to do so.
	Presently, data is only available for April 2009, during which time the Department handled 21 complaints about excess charges. The Department will continue to monitor all complaints received.
	In view of the difficulties that many applicants were facing in funding their excess payments I announced that the Warm Front grant levels would increase from 2,700 and 4,000 (where an oil system is recommended) to 3,500 and 6,000 (where an oil or new low carbon technology is recommended). This will remove the need for the vast majority of households to make a contribution to the cost of work.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contacts between British and Taliban forces there have been in Helmand Province in each of the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: The numbers of troops in contact events (regardless of the instigator) involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province recorded by Task Force Helmand for each complete month from May 2008 to April 2009 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of contacts( 1) 
			 May 2008 60 
			 June 2008 80 
			 July 2008 110 
			 August 2008 200 
			 September 2008 180 
			 October 2008 170 
			 November 2008 200 
			 December 2008 220 
			 January 2009 180 
			 February 2009 180 
			 March 2009 250 
			 April 2009 150 
			 (1) Rounded to 10 
		
	
	ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside Afghan Army and Police units. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
	This data is based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment. The Ministry of Defence has completed a review of the data required to answer questions such as this, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK service personnel are stationed at each location overseas.

Bill Rammell: Figures for the number of service personnel stationed overseas can be found in Table 1.1 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 10: UK Regular Forces stationed location. TSP 10 is published quarterly and is available at the Library of the House. The most recent publication shows figures at 1 April 2009 and can be found at the following link.
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/apps/publications/pubViewFile.php?content=1800.1date=2009-05-29type=htmlPublishTime=09:30:00

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military and what percentage of each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) RAF are (i) in service and (ii) fit for purpose.

Quentin Davies: The numbers and types of helicopters used by the Army Air Corps, Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force which are in service, in the forward fleet and considered fit for purpose are detailed in the following table. In service has been taken to mean the effective fleet which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Aircraft in the forward fleet are those that are available to the front line command for operational and training purposes, including those that are classed as short-term unserviceable: aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are excluded. Fit for purpose aircraft are those in the forward fleet considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date.
	The following figures represent averages taken for May 2009.
	
		
			   Number  of aircraft  Percentage  Number  of aircraft  Percentage 
			  Helicopter Type/Mark  Departmental  fleet  Effective  fleet  In-Service  Forward  fleet  Fit for purpose  Fit for purpose 
			  Royal Navy   
			 Lynx Mk3/Mk8 68 61 90 26 26 100 
			 Sea King Mk5 15 15 100 7 7 100 
			 Sea King Mk7 13 13 100 6 6 100 
			 Sea King Mk4/6 42 42 100 129 16 55 
			 Merlin Mk1 42 42 100 20 14 70 
			
			  Army Air Corps   
			 Augusta 109 4 4 100 2 3 150 
			 Apache 67 67 100 44 16 36 
			 Gazelle 91 42 46 22 20 91 
			 Lynx Mk7/9 108 94 87 53 31 58 
			
			  Royal Air Force   
			 Merlin Mk3/Mk3a 28 28 100 19 11 58 
			 Puma 43 34 79 25 17 68 
			 Chinook Mk2/2a 40 40 100 29 18 62 
			 Sea King Mk3/3a 25 25 100 117 10 59

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department was first notified by the Governor of Bermuda of the Bermudan government's discussions with the US on the transfer of four former detainees from Guantnamo Bay; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received notification from the Governor of Bermuda on 11 June 2009 that the Government of Bermuda had been in discussion with the US on the transfer of four former detainees from Guantanamo Bay. The Government of Bermuda acted outside their competence.

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the government of Bermuda notified his Department that it had agreed to accept the transfer of four former detainees from Guantnamo Bay before the former detainees arrived in Bermuda on 12 June 2009; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The four former detainees arrived in Bermuda early on 11 June 2009. The Government of Bermuda notified the Governor a few hours earlier that some Muslim Uighur refugees were on their way, without mention of the United States or Guantanamo Bay.

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the government of Bermuda began discussions with the US administration on the transfer of detainees from Guantnamo Bay to Bermuda .

David Miliband: The Government of Bermuda began discussions with the US Administration on or about 20 May 2009.

Departmental Press

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) newspapers and  (b) periodicals are delivered to the private office of each Minister in his Department; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Bryant: The following information is for the month of May 2009, the latest period for which figures are available, and relates to the ministerial team in place at the time.
	The Foreign Secretary's Private Office received the following papers and periodicals Monday to Friday, or when published, at a cost of 589:
	 Daily Mail x 3
	 Daily Mirror x 3
	 Daily Telegraph x 4
	 Financial Times x 3
	 Guardian x 4
	 Independent x 3
	 International Herald Tribune x 2
	 Le Monde x 1
	 The Sun x 4
	 The Times x 4
	 Evening Standard (1st Edition) x 3
	 Evening Standard (West End Final) x 3
	 The Economist
	 New Statesman
	 Spectator
	 Private Eye .
	Lord Malloch-Brown's Private Office received one copy of each of the following papers and periodicals Monday to Friday, or when published, at a cost of 198.90:
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 International Herald Tribune
	 The Sun
	 Times
	 Economist x 2
	 New Statesman
	 Private Eye
	 Spectator .
	Bill Rammell MP's Private Office received one copy of each of the following papers Monday to Thursday at a cost of 105.00:
	 Financial Times
	 The Times
	 The Independent
	 The Telegraph
	 The Sun
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Mail .
	Caroline Flint MP's Private Office received the following papers and periodicals Monday to Friday, or when published, at a cost of 326.70:
	 Financial Times x 2
	 The Daily Telegraph x 2
	 The Times x 2
	 The Independent x 2
	 Daily Mail x 2
	 Daily Express x 2
	 Daily Mirror x 2
	 The Sun x 2
	 The Guardian x 2
	 Evening Standard (1st Edition) x 2
	 Evening Standard (West End Final) x 2
	 Economist
	 New Statesman .
	Gillian Merron MP's Private Office received one copy of each of the following papers Monday to Thursday, at a cost of 46.08:
	 Daily Mirror
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian .
	Lord Davies's Private Office received one copy of each of the following papers and periodicals Monday to Friday, or when published, at a cost of 100.70:
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Guardian
	 Times
	 Economist
	 New Statesman
	 Spectator
	 The Week
	 Fortune
	 Private Eye .
	Costs for Lord Davies's Private Office were met by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Iran: British Nationality

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of UK citizens in Iran.

Ivan Lewis: Our embassies and high commissions use a number of channels to communicate information to British Nationals. These include travel advice, wardens networks, LOCATEan on-line registering facility, the internet and local media.
	All of our embassies and high commissions are required to hold a post emergency plan and, where deemed necessary, a civil contingency plan. Our embassy in Tehran holds both. These plans are designed to help our diplomatic missions respond to any crisis they may face, including dealing with consular emergencies, civil unrest or in some cases assisting the departure of British Nationals from a country. All plans are reviewed regularly and tested at least annually and more often if the circumstances in country warrant it. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Consular Crisis Group oversees the review process of these plans.

Languages: EU Action

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 37W, on European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, for what reason the UK's third periodical report on the implementation of policies under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was not published on 1 July 2008.

Chris Bryant: The submission of the UK's Third Report on the European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages was delayed as the Northern Ireland Executive was not in a position to issue its input in relation to matters that had been devolved to the Executive.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Michael Foster: The carbon dioxide emissions as reported to the Sustainable Development Commission are set out in the following table. The figures include travel arranged by overseas offices, and United Kingdom based and local staff in these offices.
	
		
			   Carbon dioxide (tonnes)  Per full-time equivalent member of staff 
			 2006-07 17,874 6.9 
			 2007-08 18,094 7.1

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1879W, on the departmental internet, how many  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page impressions were received by the (i) Research and Development and (ii) Developments website in each of the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: During the period June 2008 to May 2009, the Research4Development website received the following hits:
	
		
			   Unique visitors  Page views 
			  2008   
			 June 20,438 224,161 
			 July 27,453 268,410 
			 August 20,576 423,137 
			 September 21,831 200,907 
			 October 20,586 160,843 
			 November 26,765 198,895 
			 December 19,895 214,005 
			  2009   
			 January 24,635 225,110 
			 February 26,608 248,223 
			 March 31,051 240,409 
			 April 31,577 516,029 
			 May 34,978 590,852 
			 Total 306,393 3,510,981 
		
	
	During the same period Developments website received the following hits:
	
		
			   Unique visitors  Page views 
			  2008   
			 June 6,807 18,535 
			 July 6,650 27,959 
			 August 5,300 19,678 
			 September 7,475 21,447 
			 October 10,178 31,224 
			 November 9,327 25,358 
			 December 6,774 17,014 
			  2009   
			 January 9,257 23,393 
			 February 9,587 23,841 
			 March 10,810 26,669 
			 April 9,203 20,998 
			 May 9,412 22,468 
			 Total 100,780 278,584

Council Housing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 20W, on housing, in which local authorities the schemes are being operated.

Ian Austin: As at April 2009 Choice Based Lettings housing allocations schemes were being operated in the following local authorities in England:
	Adur
	Amber Valley
	Arun
	Ashford
	Barking and Dagenham
	Barnet
	Barnsley
	Basildon
	Bassetlaw
	Bath and North East Somerset
	Birmingham
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Blackpool
	Bolton
	Boston
	Bournemouth
	Bradford
	Braintree
	Brent
	Brentwood
	Brighton and Hove
	Bristol
	Broadland
	Bromley
	Bromsgrove
	Broxbourne
	Bury
	Calderdale
	Cambridge
	Camden
	Canterbury
	Carlisle
	Chelmsford
	Cherwell
	Cheshire West and Chester
	Chesterfield
	Chichester
	City of London
	Colchester
	Cornwall
	Cotswold
	Coventry
	Crawley
	Croydon
	Dacorum
	Dartford
	Derby
	Derbyshire Dales
	Doncaster
	Dover
	Dudley
	Durham
	Ealing
	East Cambridgeshire
	East Devon
	East Dorset
	East Hampshire
	East Hertfordshire
	East Northamptonshire
	East Staffordshire
	Eastbourne
	Eastleigh
	Enfield
	Epping Forest
	Epsom and Ewell
	Erewash
	Exeter
	Fareham
	Fenland
	Forest Heath
	Fylde
	Gateshead
	Gosport
	Gravesham
	Great Yarmouth
	Greenwich
	Guildford
	Hackney
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Harborough
	Haringey
	Harlow
	Harrow
	Hart
	Hastings
	Havant
	Havering
	Herefordshire, County of
	Hertsmere
	High Peak
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Huntingdonshire
	Islington
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Kettering
	King's Lynn and West Norfolk
	Kingston upon Hull, City of
	Kingston upon Thames
	Lambeth
	Leeds
	Lewes
	Lewisham
	Lichfield
	Lincoln
	Liverpool
	Maidstone
	Malvern Hills
	Manchester
	Mansfield
	Medway
	Mendip
	Merton
	Mid Devon
	Middlesbrough
	Mole Valley
	New Forest
	Newark and Sherwood
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	Newham
	North East Derbyshire
	North Somerset
	Northampton
	Northumberland
	Norwich
	Nottingham
	Oldham
	Oxford
	Peterborough
	Plymouth
	Poole
	Preston
	Purbeck
	Reading
	Redbridge
	Redditch
	Reigate and Banstead
	Rochdale
	Rother
	Rotherham
	Rushmoor
	Salford
	Sandwell
	Sedgemoor
	Sefton
	Sevenoaks
	Sheffield
	Shepway
	Shropshire
	Solihull
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Derbyshire
	South Gloucestershire
	South Norfolk
	South Oxfordshire
	South Ribble
	South Somerset
	South Staffordshire
	South Tyneside
	Southampton
	Southend-on-Sea
	Southwark
	St. Edmundsbury
	St. Helens
	Stevenage
	Stockport
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Stratford-on-Avon
	Sunderland
	Surrey Heath
	Sutton
	Swale
	Swindon
	Tameside
	Tandridge
	Taunton Deane
	Telford and Wrekin
	Test Valley
	Thanet
	Three Rivers
	Thurrock
	Tonbridge and Malling
	Torbay
	Tower Hamlets
	Trafford
	Tunbridge Wells
	Uttlesford
	Vale of White Horse
	Wakefield
	Walsall
	Waltham Forest
	Warrington
	Warwick
	Waveney
	Waverley
	Wealden
	West Berkshire
	West Devon
	West Somerset
	Westminster
	Weymouth and Portland
	Wigan
	Wiltshire
	Winchester
	Wirral
	Woking
	Worcester
	Wychavon
	Wyre
	Wyre Forest
	York

Council Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 383W, on council housing 
	(1)  which organisations undertook the external research; on what subjects; and how much was paid to each such organisation;
	(2)  on what dates the external research for the review of council housing finance was commissioned.

Ian Austin: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Research  Date commissioned  Researcher  Cost  ()  Purpose of research 
			 Evaluation of Management and Maintenance costs 2 July 2008 Housing Quality Network 44,330 To determine the costs of running the day to day landlord service (including redistribution analysis and housemark data provision) 
			 Review of the Major Repairs Allowance 1 September 2008 Building Research Establishment 50,835 Analysis of the need to spend on major repairs of the housing stock in order to maintain the Decent Homes standard 
			 Tenant Focus Groups 9 September 2008 GFK-NOP 28,898 Analysis of tenant attitudes towards council housing finance and rents policy 
			 Rents Analysis 2 October 2008 Professor Steve Wilcox, University of York 18,500 A set of briefings and analysis on rents and related topics to inform the HRA review 
			 Processing of Tenant Questionnaires 28 October 2008 Sharp Research 8,550  
			 Debt Analysis 19 November 2008 Tribal 16,400 Analysis of the options for dealing with debt in local authority housing. 
		
	
	Other research expense included ongoing advice from the CLG expert panel and use of the Housing Corporation residents panels through the second half of 2008 totalling around 30,000.

Council Housing: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 383W, on council housing 
	(1)  what the civil service pay band of each member of the Review of Council Housing Finance team is;
	(2)  how much has been spent on the Review of Council Housing Finance on  (a) salaries,  (b) bonuses and  (c) expenses for (i) civil servants and (ii) local authority secondees;
	(3)  which local authority provided a secondee to the review; and what the terms of the secondment are;
	(4)  what costs related to the Review of Council Housing Finance have been incurred in each of the last three months;
	(5)  if he will provide a breakdown of the 186,000 spent by the Review of Council Housing Finance on activity other than external research.

Ian Austin: The pay bands for civil servants from my Department working on the Review are Grade 5 (Deputy Director), Grade 6, Grade 7, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and Executive Officer. The civil servants from HM Treasury are Range E (which is equivalent to Grades 6 and 7) and Range D (which is equivalent to SEO and HEO). All civil servants are employed and remunerated on standard departmental terms and conditions.
	The local authority secondee is on secondment from Sheffield city council. The council is continuing to pay his wages and expenses, which are reimbursed by my Department in respect of time spent working on the review. The secondment is on standard departmental terms and conditions.
	The 186,000 that was spent on other activity includes the reimbursement of the secondee's wages and expenses to Sheffield city council. It cannot be broken down without identifying these payments, which would breach data protection principles in respect of the secondee.
	The answer of 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 383W, included details of review expenditure to the end of March 2009. Details of costs incurred by the review since then cannot be provided without breaching data protection principles in respect of the secondee from Sheffield city council.

Council Housing: Rents

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 71-72WS, on local authority rents, which local authorities have applied for financial support for reduced rent increases for council tenants; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The authorities which have applied for and accepted additional subsidy support to reduce rent increases are listed as follows:
	Adur
	Arun
	Ashfield
	Ashford
	Babergh
	Barking
	Barnet
	Barnsley
	Barrow
	Basildon
	Bassetlaw
	Birmingham
	Blaby
	Blackpool
	Bolsover
	Bolton
	Bournemouth
	Bracknell
	Braintree
	Brent
	Brentwood
	Brighton and Hove
	Bristol
	Broxtowe
	Bury
	Cambridge
	Camden
	Cannock Chase
	Canterbury
	Castle Point
	Central Bedfordshire
	Charnwood
	Cheltenham
	Cheshire West and Chester
	Chesterfield
	City of London
	City of York
	Colchester
	Corby
	Cornwall
	Crawley
	Croydon
	Dacorum
	Darlington
	Dartford
	Daventry
	Derby
	Doncaster
	Dover
	Dudley
	Durham
	Ealing
	East Devon
	East Riding
	Eastbourne
	Enfield
	Epping Forest
	Exeter
	Fareham
	Fenland
	Gateshead
	Gedling
	Gloucester
	Gosport
	Gravesham
	Great Yarmouth
	Greenwich
	Guildford
	Hackney
	Hammersmith
	Harborough
	Haringey
	Harrogate
	Harrow
	Havering
	High Peak
	Hillingdon
	Hinckley
	Hounslow
	Ipswich
	Isles of Scilly
	Islington
	Kensington
	Kettering
	Kingston upon Hull
	Kingston upon Thames
	Kirklees
	Lambeth
	Lancaster
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Lewisham
	Lincoln
	Liverpool
	Luton
	Manchester
	Mansfield
	Medway Towns
	Melton
	Merton
	Mid Devon
	Mid Suffolk
	Milton Keynes
	Mole Valley
	NE Derbyshire
	New Forest
	Newark
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	Newham
	North Kesteven
	North Tyneside
	North Warwick
	Northampton
	Northumberland
	Norwich
	Nottingham
	Nuneaton
	NW Leicester
	Oadby and Wigston
	Oldham
	Oxford City
	Plymouth
	Poole
	Portsmouth
	Reading
	Redbridge
	Redditch
	Ribble Valley
	Richmondshire
	Rochdale
	Rochford
	Rotherham
	Rugby
	Runnymede
	Rutland
	Salford
	Sandwell
	Sedgemoor
	Selby
	Sheffield
	Shepway
	Shropshire
	Slough
	Solihull
	South Cambridge
	South Derby
	South Holland
	South Kesteven
	South Lakeland
	South Norfolk
	South Northants
	South Tyneside
	Southampton
	Southend-on-Sea
	Southwark
	St. Albans
	Stevenage
	Stockport
	Stockton
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Stroud
	Sutton
	Swindon
	Tamworth
	Tandridge
	Taunton Deane
	Tendring
	Thanet
	Three Rivers
	Thurrock
	Torridge
	Tower Hamlets
	Uttlesford
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth
	Warrington
	Warwick
	Waveney
	Waverley
	Wealden
	Wellingborough
	Welwyn Hatfield
	West Lancashire
	Westminster
	Wigan
	Wiltshire
	Winchester
	Woking
	Wokingham
	Wolverhampton
	Wycombe

Derelict Land

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009,  Official Report, column 453W, on derelict land, how many  (a) registered social landlords (RSLs) and  (b) local authorities operated land banks in May 2009; what the estimated monetary value of such land held by (i) RSLs and (ii) local authorities was as at 31 May 2009; and in respect of how many such assets is development expected to commence in the next six months.

Ian Austin: holding answer 22 June 2009
	The Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the independent regulator of the Registered Social Landlord (RSL) sector, does not monitor all RSL land banks on a comprehensive basis. The TSA does not register land banks held by RSLs. However, they do collect information on such holdings of undeveloped land for the larger developing RSLs.
	The TSA has been monitoring this type of activity, on a quarterly basis, since January 2009.
	Their latest figures, from April 2009, show that 100 associations have land yet to be developed with an overall value of 1.2 billion. They do not hold information on the amount of this land that is expected to be developed in the next six months.
	With regard to local authority land, this Department does not hold this information centrally. However, we are working with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop a robust system of data collection so that we can identify and record what housing development is taking place on public sector sites. The Homes and Communities Agency is seeking the help of local authorities in establishing this database.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much and what proportion of disabled facilities grant funding has been spent on alternative accommodation during building work in each year since the scheme was introduced; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average length of time between receipt of an application for a disabled facilities grant and the completion of the home improvements funded by the grant was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The information requested is not held centrally, day to day management of the Disabled Facilities Grant programme is the responsibility of local authorities. Collection of the information requested is therefore a local matter.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the  (a) implementation and  (b) management of the home improvements - disabled facilities grant scheme since its introduction.

Ian Austin: The introduction of the Disabled Facilities Grant has enabled many disabled people to continue to live independently in their own homes through the provision of adaptations. The programme helps about 38,000 households a year with a variety of adaptations to ease mobility in their homes. An independent review of the programme was carried out in 2004 and a consultation to modernise the programme followed in 2007. The Government announced their response to the consultation early in 2008-09 with a package of changes to improve the programme. This can be viewed on the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/modernisationchangespackage

Disabled Facilities Grants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will review the operation of the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme for the purposes of assessing  (a) the effects on the operation of the scheme of changes in mechanisms for ring-fenced funding of the scheme and  (b) progress towards the target of completing (i) the assessment by an occupational therapist required under the scheme within six months and (ii) adaptation work undertaken under that scheme within 12 months.

Ian Austin: Following a review of the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme published in 2007 a number of changes were implemented to the programme. Data collected from local authorities will give an indication as to the effect of the wider changes made to the programme such as the relaxation of the grant conditions. The effect of the removal of the grant ring fence is currently being piloted in nine local authorities; a full evaluation of the impact of the removal of the ring fence will be carried out before any decision is taken on removing the ring fence nationally.
	Further work is currently being carried out to improve the delivery of the programme with an overhaul of the means test and application form. Data on the time it takes an authority to deliver a Disabled Facilities Grant are not collected centrally as circumstances will vary from case to case.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the Decent Homes scheme in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: The decent homes programme was launched in 2001. The figures in the table represent the estimated expenditure maintaining the condition of social housing stock, including the Decent Homes standard, since 1997 from statistical returns submitted by local authorities and registered social landlords.
	
		
			   billion 
			   Total investment  LA  RSL 
			 1997-98 1.97 1.56 0.41 
			 1998-99 2.18 1.66 0.52 
			 1999-2000 1.86 1.57 0.29 
			 2000-01 2.19 1.81 0.38 
			 2001-02 2.66 2.12 0.54 
			 2002-03 3.08 2.35 0.73 
			 2003-04 3.31 2.64 0.67 
			 2004-05 3.69 3.18 0.51 
			 2005-06 4.10 3.38 0.72 
			 2006-07 4.19 3.31 0.88 
			 2007-08 4.15 3.21 0.94 
			 Total 33.38 26.79 6.59

LLM Communications

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, column 744W, on LLM Communications, 
	(1)  how the contract for the work undertaken by LLM Communications was  (a) tendered and  (b) procured;
	(2)  what the  (a) title,  (b) location and  (c) branding of each regional housing debate was; and what consideration was given to undertaking this work in-house;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of reference given to LLM Communications by his Department.

Ian Austin: The Department for Communities and Local Government provided financial support to the Campaign for More and Better Homes which was a pre-existing cross-sector housing alliance. Campaign for More and Better Homes commissioned LLM Communications as their PR agency to deliver regional housing debates to help raise public awareness of the need for and benefits of housing growth.

Planning Permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 5 May 2009,  Official Report, column 141W, on planning permission, what the agreed completion date is of the core strategy of each local planning authority.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 14 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1006W, on this issue in relation to local development frameworks.

Private Rented Housing: Standards

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure that privately rented housing meets the decent homes standard.

Ian Austin: The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a risk based evaluation tool to help local authorities identify and protect against potential risks and hazards to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 and came into effect on 6 April 2006. It applies to residential properties in England.
	The HHSRS assesses 29 categories of housing hazard, each hazard has a weighting which will help determine whether the property is rated as having Category 1 (serious) or Category 2 (other) hazards. For the purposes of the decent homes standard, homes posing a category 1 risk are non-decent on its criterion that a home must meet the statutory minimum requirements.
	Local authorities are responsible for the local implementation and enforcement of the HHSRS. If a property is found to contain serious hazards the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action in relation to the hazard.

Supporting People Programme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what records his Department maintains of the ways in which local authorities spend funding provided by his Department under the Supporting People programme.

Ian Austin: Supporting People expenditure data is collected from local authorities annually via the Supporting People Local System (SPLS) used to report data to CLG. The information is provided by local authorities at service level and is aggregated by CLG to produce an analysis of spend for the financial year by authority, region and nationally. Information published is shown by primary client group; for example, by older people with support needs, mentally disordered offenders and service type, for example, accommodation based service, or Home Improvement Agencies. The information by all client groups and service type is available on the spkweb.
	Additional information is also available by secondary client group, accommodation type, provider organisation type, service duration and charging type but does not form part of the published analysis.
	In addition to the data provided via the SPLS local authorities were previously required under the Supporting People Grant Conditions to provide audited and Commissioning Body approved expenditure figures via CLG web-based data collection and payments processing system logasnet (Local Grants and Subsidy.net).

Supporting People Programme

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the Supporting People scheme his Department has allocated to Handy Person schemes in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: The Supporting People programme is administered at the local level by the relevant administering authority. It is for the authority to decide which services to fund, informed by the local needs and priorities identified in their five year Supporting People Strategies.
	The following table sets out how much local authorities spent from their Support People allocation, on Home Improvement Agencies, to deliver services including handypersons services at the local level.
	
		
			  Spend reported Home Improvement Agencies 
			million 
			 2006-07 15.414 
			 2007-08 17.832 
		
	
	A 2008 Survey of funding sources for HIA handyperson services by their national body, Foundations, estimated that the Supporting People contribution for Handyperson services only to be approximately 900,000.

Banks: Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the Government guarantee scheme for asset-backed securities; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In the 2009 Budget, the Government announced that the Asset-Backed Securities guarantee scheme is available for banks and building societies to use alongside the existing Credit Guarantee Scheme, to support their lending to the economy:
	http://budget.treasury.gov.uk
	The Government will keep the operation of the scheme under review, though it is too early to assess its impact.

Departmental Cleaning Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations provided cleaning services to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each such contract was in each such year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Soft services are provided in 1 Horse Guards Road as part of a PFI contract with Exchequer Partnership (EP). OCS deliver the cleaning element of those services.
	The soft services are currently being market tested by EP and it would be inappropriate to disclose details of pay rates at this time.
	In Norwich, cleaning services are undertaken by Mitie Facilities Services Ltd. Cleaning cost for the past three years were:
	
		
			
			 2006-07 124,546.32 
			 2007-08 128,282.71 
			 2008-09 132,131.19

Departmental Energy

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the water consumption on his Department's office estate in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from offices in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the amount of waste arising from his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from road-based transport used for administrative operations by his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff;
	(7)  what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by staff in his Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury is committed to improving its environmental performance in the use of resources and to reducing its energy use year on year.
	Detailed information on the Treasury Group's sustainable performance by building for the years in question were published in HM Treasury's Departmental Report for 2007-08 (Cm 7408). Updates on progress will be provided annually.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 585W, on the departmental internet, how many  (a) unique visitors and  (b) page impressions each website received in each of the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Figures for unique visitors and page impressions for each website maintained by the Department in each of the last 12 months are given in the following tables. Statistics for some of the sites are unavailable due to the migration of sites to centrally hosted servers in October 2008.
	
		
			   March 2008  April 2008  May 2008 
			   Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions 
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 266,462 7,306,670 236,654 6,134,432 222,414 6,075,907 
			 www.isb.gov.uk 5,136 (1) 5,395 (1) 6249 (1) 
			 www.ges.gov.uk 5,505 17787 5,380 18,437 4,805 14,573 
			 www.qsr.gov.uk 17,065 59,931 25,158 90,451 27,236 90,843 
			 www.euro.gov   
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk   
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk   
			 http://thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 2,003 8,296 
		
	
	
		
			   June 2008  July 2008  August 2008 
			   Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions 
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 212,796 5,967,453 164,583 6,205,519 126,319 5,675,683 
			 www.isb.gov.uk 6,369 (1) 4,574 (1) 3,796 (1) 
			 www.ges.gov.uk 4,786 14,005 4,183 18,398 3,829 18,727 
			 www.qsr.gov.uk 23,082 89,163 20,547 94,688 17,065 88,250 
			 www.euro.gov   
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk   
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk   
			 http://thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 822 8,672 684 9,063 1,596 8,485 
		
	
	
		
			   September 2008  October 2008  November 2008 
			   Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions 
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 80,548 6,139,875 465,585 3,002,734 245,986 1,420,116 
			 www.isb.gov.uk 2,092 (1) 4,235 (1) 4,506 (1) 
			 www.ges.gov.uk 6,182 21,403 9,060 32,635 6,208 20,211 
			 www.qsr.gov.uk 12,119 62,9461 9,583 151,681 9,269 119,145 
			 www.euro.gov   17,541 127,867 16,301 89,206 
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk   985 24,367 353 9,254 
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk   4,463 61,631 4,634 41,227 
			 http://thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 1,882 8,750 2,067 9,292 2,361 9,999 
		
	
	
		
			   December 2008  January 2009  February2009 
			   Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions 
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 142,120 708,403 173,607 891,939 152,542 871,393 
			 www.isb.gov.uk 3,413 (1) 3,800 (1) 3,973 (1) 
			 www.ges.gov.uk 4,860 15,645 7,854 24,154 7,801 25,505 
			 www.qsr.gov.uk 8,324 123,970 9379 143,996 8,851 147,642 
			 www.euro.gov 17,032 88,416 20,906 109,079 15,472 97,093 
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk 1,022 9,727 1,173 17,868 1,156 20,779 
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk 3,439 37,378 3,709 53,637 2,879 53,590 
			 http://thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 1,375 6,922 1,898 8,996 1,750 8,167 
		
	
	
		
			   March 2009  April 2009  May 2009  Comments 
			   Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  Visitors  Impressions  
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 188,040 971,767 281,589 1,427,205 161,022 72,2752  
			 www.isb.gov.uk 5,669 (1) 4,738 (1) 5,320 (1)  
			 www.ges.gov.uk 5,940 20,044 5,263 16,974 4,249 13,822  
			 www.qsr.gov.uk 10,778 162,877 See note 2 
			 www.euro.gov 17,044 98,978 14,322 76,499 9,057 41,144 See note 3 
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk 1,407 16,957 1,031 14,736 1,155 14,016 As above 
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk 3,174 55,191 2,775 47,909 2,732 47,255 As above 
			 http://thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 2,696 11,568 2,330 9,807 77 281  
			 (1) Unavailable.  Notes: 2 GSR website migrated to the Civil Service website on 1 April 2009 3 Statistics only available from October 2008

Equitable Life

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the Report of the Select Committee on Public Administration on Equitable Life.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government responded to the Committee's report on 19 May.

Equitable Life

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the most recent report of the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Equitable Life.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government regret that the parliamentary ombudsman felt it was necessary to lay her further report but stands by the response to her main report it made on 15 January 2009. The Government are now working to deliver the ex gratia payments scheme it has announced as quickly as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of 2 February 2009, ref 3/08735/2009, on value added tax from the hon. Member for Congleton on behalf of her constituent Mr Carl Hammonds.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of 29 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on the closure of the Peterhead HM Revenue and Customs office.

Stephen Timms: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 2 March 2009.

Sri Lanka: International Assistance

Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1328W, on Sri Lanka: international assistance, when he expects the International Monetary Fund to present a programme for Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The International Monetary Fund has not yet presented a programme for Sri Lanka and the UK has not been asked to vote on a programme yet.
	Once a programme is presented, it will be assessed on its merits and the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka to decide whether it will help the people of Sri Lanka.

VAT: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 54W, on value added tax: repairs and maintenance, if he will reduce to five per cent. the rate of value added tax applicable to the maintenance and repair of listed buildings.

Stephen Timms: VAT is a broad-based tax upon consumption and although the Government continues to keep the impact of VAT on all building work under review, it only applies reduced VAT rates where it believes these would provide well-targeted and cost-effective support for its policy objectives.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he plans to answer question  (a) 279978 and  (b) 279979, tabled on 10 June 2009, on the Asset Protection Scheme;
	(2)  when he plans to answer question 279981, tabled on 10 June 2009, on public sector contracting.

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer question  (a) 279857 and  (b) 279858, tabled on 10 June 2009, on road fuel duty.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The former Exchequer Secretary replied to the hon. Members within the parliamentary deadline.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Question 279980, tabled on 10 June 2009, on Northern Rock.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Economic Secretary replied to the hon. Member within the parliamentary deadline.

Departmental Electricity

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families makes an annual report to the Sustainable Development Commission on electricity sourced from renewables as part of their returns for the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report.
	From the 2007 and 2008 SDiG Reportsavailable in full under Publications at:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/
	electricity sourced from renewables for the office estate was reported as  (a) 8.9 per cent. in 2006-07 and  (b) 16.4 per cent. in 2007-08.

Extracurricular Activities: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) out-of-school and  (b) holiday play schemes for children there were in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data were collected at local authority level only. Table 1 shows the number of out of school clubs in Essex in each of the last five years for which data were collected. The last year that Ofsted collected this information was 2008. Information on the number of holiday play schemes is not available as Ofsted do not collect these data.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number( 1, 2 ) of out of school clubs for children under eight years of age, position at 31 March each year 
			   Essex local authority area 
			 2004 200 
			 2005 200 
			 2006 200 
			 2007 200 
			 2008 200 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100.  (2) Data Source: Ofsted. 
		
	
	Ofsted have collected information on the number of registered child care places available to children aged eight and under on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published in their report Registered Childcare Providers and Places, March 2009, which is available on their website:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Statistics/Registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-England-December-2008-onwards

Science: GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils who achieved a GCSE in both core science and additional applied science were educated in the  (a) maintained mainstream and  (b) independent sector in each year since 2007.

Vernon Coaker: In 2008, of the pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who achieved a GCSE in both Core Science and Additional Applied Science, 47,767 (99.5 per cent.) were educated in the maintained mainstream sector and 185 (0.4 per cent. were educated in the independent sector.
	Core Science and Additional Applied Sciences GCSEs were first introduced for teaching in 2006. There were no entries for students taking both qualifications in 2007.

Social Services: Haringey

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter received by his Department's predecessor on 16 February 2007 arising from an employment tribunal and containing allegations concerning child protection procedures in the London Borough of Haringey, redacting sensitive personal information as appropriate.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not intend to place the letter in the Librarythe letter itself is already in the public domain. It was, however, received by the Department in strict confidence and that confidence remains binding on the Department. The letter covered a statement of case relating to an employment tribunal hearing. This contains personal data relating to a number of individuals, and it would not be appropriate for the Department to make it available.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of her Department's estate.

Jonathan R Shaw: The DWP finance director general acts as senior responsible office for sustainable development within DWP. Improving energy efficiency features within the targets for sustainable operations on the Government estate, and as such responsibility for day to day delivery rests with the commercial director.

Departmental Energy

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the energy consumed per full-time equivalent member of staff in her Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The following table gives details of energy consumption in offices in total, and per member of staff.
	
		
			   Energy consumption (kWh)  Staffing  Energy consumption/head (kWh) 
			 2006-07 720,001,384 120,277 5,986 
			 2007-08 620,037,275 110,490 5,611 
		
	
	As there is no requirement within the targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to report energy consumption per full-time equivalent member of staff, we have used for consistency the same staffing figures as used to calculate the water reduction targets. These include an agreed allowance for on site contractors/visitors.

Departmental Waste

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the amount of waste arising from her Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 (i) in total and (ii) per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Jim Knight: The following table gives details of waste arisings from offices in total, and per member of staff.
	
		
			   Waste arisings (metric tonnes)  Staffing  Waste per head (metric tonnes) 
			 2006-07 22,365 120,277 0.186 
			 2007-08 21,133 110,490 0.191 
		
	
	As there is no requirement within the targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to report waste arisings per full-time equivalent member of staff, we have used for consistency the same staffing figures as used to calculate the water reduction targets. These include an agreed allowance for on site contractors/visitors.

Employment Services: Disabled

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sign language users had access to video relay services through the Access to Work scheme in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: No breakdown of the number of sign language users having access to video relay services through the Access to Work Scheme is collected by this Department.
	However, through Access to Work, the Department supports employers to ensure that access to video relay services are provided where this is the most suitable means of support.

Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2009,  Official Report, column 570W, on foreign workers, how many national insurance numbers were issued to adult  (a) non-UK EU nationals and  (b) non-EU nationals in each quarter between January 2004 and September 2007.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 5W.

Future Jobs Fund

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to answer question 277276, on the Future Jobs Fund, tabled on 20 May 2009.

Jim Knight: The hon. Member's question was answered on 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 163W.

Future Jobs Fund: Culture

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Future Jobs Fund in relation to jobs in culture and the creative industries.

Jim Knight: holding answer 18 June 2009
	The Future jobs Fund is an important new initiative announced in the Budget 2009 worth 1 billion to create 150,000 new jobs both for young people and individuals living in unemployment hotspots. We are inviting bids from a wide range of organisations and partnerships including those from the culture and creative industries to create valuable jobs that bring real benefits to individuals and their communities.
	The fund will be allocated following a competitive bidding process that opened on 13 May 2009. Initial bids from organisations and partnerships wanting to create jobs from October onwards should be submitted by 30 June 2009. After this date, bids will be assessed on a rolling basis with funding allocated around eight weeks before jobs are due to commence. We are unable to make any formal assessment at this stage given that we are yet to allocate any funding to potential employers.
	It is important that we help young people and those struggling to find work to move into jobs in growth sectors to prepare them to be a part of the economic recovery. The culture and creative industries will be vital to the United Kingdom's economic recovery and so we are keen that they play an important role in delivering jobs through the Future Jobs Fund. Officials from both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have been working closely with representative bodies from these sectors to help them put together a strong bid to the fund.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) her Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; how many of them are working on (i) project management, (ii) legacy planning, (iii) project oversight and (iv) financial oversight; and what plans she has for future staffing levels in each case.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  DWP 
			  Work area  FTE 
			 Project Management 0.1 
			 Legacy Planning 0.5 
			 Project Oversight 0.5 
			 Financial Oversight 0 
		
	
	DWP has recruited 0.6 FTE to support legacy planning and project oversight and has no plans to increase staffing levels in this area for the year 2009-10.
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus 
			  Work  a rea  FTE 
			 Project Management 3.2 
			 Legacy Planning 1.2 
			 Project Oversight 0.6 
			 Financial Oversight 0 
		
	
	Current workforce plans for Jobcentre Plus extend to March 2010 over which period there is no increase expected.
	
		
			  Health and Safety Executive 
			  Work area  FTE 
			 Project Management  
			 Legacy Planning  
			 Project Oversight 3.5 
			 Financial Oversight  
		
	
	Inspection of the Olympic construction activities will be undertaken as an integral part of Construction Division's workload.
	 Office for Disability Issues
	The Office for Disability Issues has on a number of occasions provided advice and expertise to Ministers, other Government Departments and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games on disability issues relating to London 2012. It is not however, possible to quantify this in terms of staff numbers.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 104W, on social security benefits: medical examinations, how many doctors were complained against under the heading of claimants' experiences.

Jonathan R Shaw: Of the 60 complaints received under the heading claimants' experiences, 41 involved Health Care Professionals. The term Health Care Professional covers both registered doctors and registered nurses who conduct medical examinations on behalf of the Department.

Woolworths: Redundancy

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many former Woolworth employees have been placed into new employment by Jobcentre Plus in each constituency;
	(2)  how many former Woolworth employees are claiming jobseeker's allowance in each parliamentary constituency.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 June 2009
	The information requested is not available. Details of previous employers are not collated centrally.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to answer question 275954, tabled by the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire on 15 May 2009, on 0845 telephone numbers.

Jim Knight: holding answer 4 June 2009
	 The hon. Member's question was answered on 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 49W.

Apprentices

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people began apprenticeships under the apprenticeship programme for 16 to 18 year olds in  (a) North West Cambridgeshire,  (b) Cambridgeshire,  (c) the East of England and  (d) England in each year since the scheme was introduced.

Si�n Simon: The table shows the number of 16 to 18-year-olds starting an apprenticeship in North West Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency, Cambridgeshire local authority, the East of England region and England for 2003/04 onwards, the earliest year for which we have comparable data.
	
		
			  Apprenticeship starts for 16 to 18-year-olds 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 NW Cambridgeshire 230 230 170 210 200 
			 Cambridgeshire 900 1,100 900 1,000 1,000 
			 East of England 9,500 10,100 8,500 9,100 9,800 
			 England 107,500 112,600 99,000 105,100 107,000 
			  Notes: 1. Area is based on home postcode of learner. 2. Figures for parliamentary constituency have been rounded to the nearest 10. All other figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 3. Figures for England include those learners with missing postcodes, and home postcodes outside of England.  Source: WBL ILR 
		
	
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08.
	Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

Basic Skills: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what basic numeracy and literacy courses there are for adults in Coventry.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 30 April 2009
	Numeracy and literacy courses are available across the country. Information on the number of different courses funded in a given year is not collected. FE colleges and providers are given indicative budgets based on the expected delivery of an overall volume of learning. The actual numbers and types of courses delivered by a college or provider will depend on demand.
	Literacy and numeracy courses are available in Coventry at different times and venues across the city. This includes embedded provision, whereby learners can develop their literacy and numeracy as part of vocational courses. Learners achieve nationally recognised Skills for Life qualifications in Literacy and Numeracy and all levels of need are accommodated. Progression to the next level of qualification and to employment where appropriate is supported at all stages.
	Bespoke courses for particular groups of learners are delivered by the organisations detailed as follows, including those specifically for; adults seeking employability skills, adults with learning difficulties, offenders on community provision, and family learning opportunities.
	City College Coventryoffers embedded delivery across many vocational areas, including; Skills for Life for Construction, ICT, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety, and retail.
	Coventry City CouncilAdult and Community LearningDelivery across many outreach centres throughout the City, with a particular focus on Offenders and Family learning opportunities.
	Henley College Coventrydelivers embedded courses across a wide vocational spectrum, with a particular focus on Hospitality and ICT.
	JHP CoventryOffers a choice of embedded delivery in vocational areas, and assists unemployed adults to gain employment via the Employability Skills Programme.
	The Statistical First Release (SFR) Post-16 Education: Learner Participation, Outcomes and Level of Highest Qualification Held (March 2009) provides information on the number of LSC-funded learners participating on Skills for Life Courses; the SFR can be found at the following link:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfrmar09
	Table 1 following shows the number of learners participating on Skills for Life literacy and numeracy courses by age group in Coventry local authority in 2007/08.
	
		
			  Table 1: Skills for life literacy and numeracy participation by age in Coventry local authority, 2007/08 
			   16 to 18  19+  Total 
			 Literacy 2,700 3,800 6,500 
			 Numeracy 2,800 3,300 6,100 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. These figures include FE (including learndirect), WBL (including apprenticeships, Train to Gain and Entry to Employment) and Safeguarded Adult Learning. 3. This table uses learner volumes as a measure for comparative purposes. Learners participating in more than one type of course will be counted for each course type they are participating in e.g. a learner participating in literacy and numeracy courses in an FE college will be counted in both of these figures. However, learners that are included in different data collections e.g. FE and TtG, whether that relates to different years or different funding streams, will be counted once for each data collection. 4. Age is calculated based on age as at 31 August of the academic year. 5. Local authority has been based upon learner's home postcode.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many colleges at the feasibility stage of preparing for Building Colleges for the Future had not submitted  (a) an application in principle and  (b) an application in detail; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for further education colleges is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). As the information requested is with regard to an operational matter for the council, I have asked Geoffrey Russell, the acting LSC Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Member with the further information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Further Education

George Young: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's contribution to the Westminster Hall debate on building colleges for the future,  Official Report, column 121WH, of 25 March 2009, to which hon. Members the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has written with an invitation to discuss the matters in detail.

Kevin Brennan: On the 16 January, my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education wrote to 105 Memberslisted as follows. The letter was targeted at those Members who had colleges in their constituencies that we were aware were affected by the position of the Further Education capital programme. The letter included an offer to meet with any Members who had concerns regarding further education colleges in their own constituencies.
	Prior to 4 March and the Learning and Skills Council national Council meeting, my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education had been in correspondence with 58 Members regarding the position of the Further Education capital programme. On 6 March, following the national Council meeting, my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education wrote to each of the Members, updating them on the latest capital funding position, and again offering to meet with Members who had concerns regarding their own colleges.
	A list of those 58 Members will be placed in the House Libraries.
	 MPs
	 16 January distribution list
	David Heyes
	Eric Illsley
	John Mann
	Frank Field
	Gordon Marsden
	Dr. Brian Iddon
	Mark Simmonds
	Marsha Singh
	Ann Keen
	David Lepper
	Eric Martlew
	Martin Harwood
	Andrew Tyrie
	Christine Russell
	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	Bob Russell
	Richard Ottaway
	Alan Milburn
	Michael Mates
	Stephen O'Brien
	Ben Bradshaw
	Austin Mitchell
	Sylvia Heal
	Iain Wright
	David Willetts
	Andrew Stunell
	John Howell
	Mark Prisk
	Peter Atkinson
	Jonathan Djanogly
	Andrew Turner
	Philip Hollobone
	Ben Wallace
	Jane Kennedy
	Ian McCartney
	Alan Meale
	Dr. Julian Lewis
	Norman Lamb
	Henry Bellingham
	Sally Keeble
	Charles Clarke
	Alan Simpson
	Dr. Evan Harris
	Stewart Jackson
	Mike Hancock
	Mark Hendrick
	Nigel Evans
	Susan Kramer
	Philip Hammond
	Lorely Burt
	Stephen Ladyman
	Dr. John Pugh
	Shaun Woodward
	Ms Dari Taylor
	Mark Fisher
	Lynda Waltho
	John Maples
	Andrew Mitchell
	Jeremy Browne
	Mark Pritchard
	Sir John Stanley
	Adrian Sanders
	Dr. Vincent Cable
	David Clelland
	Mary Creagh
	Denis Murphy
	John Spellar
	David Heathcoat-Amory
	Rosie Cooper
	Tim Farron
	Dr. Richard Taylor
	Ian Cawsey
	Nadine Dorries
	Ian Gibson
	Bob Spink
	Ian Stewart
	Graham Stringer
	Desmond Turner
	Rob Wilson
	Derek Wyatt
	Meg Munn
	Dr. Hywel Francis
	Judy Mallaber
	Damian Green
	Tim Loughton
	Doug Henderson
	Paul Holmes
	Michael Foster
	Khalid Mahmood
	Angela C. Smith
	Janet Dean
	Joan Walley
	Tim Boswell
	Alistair Burt
	Laurence Robertson
	John Penrose
	Annette Brooke
	Dawn Butler
	Douglas Carwell
	John Heppell
	Sharon Hodgson
	Paul Holmes
	Andy Slaughter
	Edward Timpson
	Graham Allen
	Total: 105
	 6 March distribution list:
	Tony Lloyd MP
	Stephen Hepburn MP
	Stephen Haughton MP
	Shona McIsaac MP
	Sahid Malik MP
	Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP
	Rt. Hon. George Howarth MP
	Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson MP
	Robert Key MP
	Phil Hope MP
	Paul Rowan MP
	Mike Hall MP
	Michael Foster MP
	Michael Clapham MP
	Mary Creagh MP
	Mark Hoban MP
	Jonathan Djanogly MP
	John Mann MP
	John Hayes MP
	Jim Dobbin MP
	Jeff Ennis MP
	Janet Anderson MP
	Ian Cawsey MP
	Ian Austin MP
	Gordon Marsden MP
	Frank Dobson MP
	Eric Illsley MP
	Dr. Richard Taylor MP
	Dr. Howard Stoate MP
	Don Foster MP
	Derek Twigg MP
	Denis MacShane MP
	Dawn Butler MP
	David Wright MP
	David Kidney MP
	Dave Watts MP
	Christine Russell MP
	Celia Barlow MP
	Ben Chapman MP
	Ben Bradshaw MP
	Barry Sheerman MP
	Austin Mitchell MP
	Anne Snelgrove MP
	Alison Seabeck MP
	Adrian Sanders MP
	Rt. Hon. John Hutton MP
	Nick Harvey MP
	Mark Field MP
	Malcolm Moss MP
	Eric Martlew MP
	Eleanor Laing MP
	David Borrow MP
	Dari Taylor MP
	Austin Mitchell MP
	Dr. Tony Wright MP
	Rt. Hon. Andrew Smith MP
	Joan Humble MP
	Alan Keen MP
	Total: 58

Higher Education: Admissions

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 580W, on higher education: admissions, what information his Department holds on household incomes of those domiciled in the UK who are  (a) university applicants and  (b) undergraduate students.

David Lammy: University applicants are not required to provide details of their household income. However, if undergraduate students apply for means tested student finance they are required to submit household income details. Complete information on household incomes is not held because some apply for non-means tested support, and household income details are not required for such products.

Higher Education: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department plans to provide to universities in Coventry for research in  (a) medicine,  (b) history,  (c) English and  (d) modern foreign languages in 2009-10.

David Lammy: HEFCE block grant research funding allocations for 2009-10 for the university of Coventry and university of Warwick are shown in the tables that follow. These show allocations of funding awarded in relation to each unit of assessment submitted at the last Research Assessment Exercise. Once calculated, the funding is awarded as a block grant and Higher Education Institutions have the freedom to choose where to invest this fundingand need not spend it in the disciplines that earned it.
	In addition, BIS funds research through the Research Councils. These largely fund on the basis of competitively selecting projects through peer review.
	
		
			  HEFCE research funding for the university of Warwick for 2009-10 
			  Unit of assessment  HEFCE research funding for 2009-10 () 
			 4 Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects 1,087,016 
			 7 Health Services Research 1,206,826 
			 14 Biological Sciences 2,683,369 
			 16 Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science 1,569,670 
			 18 Chemistry 1,858,866 
			 19 Physics 2,187,013 
			 20 Pure Mathematics 1,324,095 
			 21 Applied Mathematics 1,220,972 
			 22 Statistics and Operational Research 996,912 
			 23 Computer Science and Informatics 978,352 
			 25 General Engineering and Mineral and Mining Engineering 3,348,681 
			 34 Economics and Econometrics 1,546,661 
			 36 Business and Management Studies 3,176,974 
			 38 Law 718,560 
			 39 Politics and International Studies 734,216 
			 40 Social Work and Social Policy and Administration 542,639 
			 41 Sociology 870,509 
			 44 Psychology 489,549 
			 45 Education 938,453 
			 52 French 291,060 
			 53 German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages 128,388 
			 54 Italian 174,491 
			 57 English Language and Literature 936,679 
			 59 Classics, Ancient History, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 324,185 
			 60 Philosophy 452,787 
			 62 History 1,068,101 
			 64 History of Art, Architecture and Design 201,491 
			 65 Drama, Dance and Performing Arts 952,815 
			 Total QR attributable to subjects 32,009,330 
			   
			 QR business research element 623,853 
			 QR for national research libraries 0 
			   
			 Total research funding 32,633,183 
		
	
	
		
			  HEFCE research funding for Coventry university for 2009-10 
			  Unit of assessment  HEFCE  r esearch funding for 2009-10 () 
			 12 Allied Health Professions and Studies 258,657 
			 21 Applied Mathematics 113,827 
			 23 Computer Science and Informatics 203,036 
			 24 Electrical and Electronic Engineering 104,555 
			 28 Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering 138,541 
			 29 Metallurgy and Materials 141,732 
			 31 Town and Country Planning 75,516 
			 36 Business and Management Studies 56,097 
			 37 Library and Information Management 68,229 
			 38 Law 27,627 
			 39 Politics and International Studies 95,390 
			 40 Social Work and Social Policy and Administration 57,473 
			 44 Psychology 7,462 
			 45 Education 94,441 
			 46 Sports-Related Studies 67,440 
			 63 Art and Design 512,620 
			 Total QR attributable to subjects 2,022,643 
			   
			 QR business research element 83,634 
			 QR for national research libraries 0 
			   
			 Total research funding 2,106,277

Higher Education: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of 18 to 25 year-olds resident in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point was in higher education (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the latest date for which information is available.

David Lammy: The Government do not collect data on the number of adults resident in a particular area who are not in higher education, so it is not possible to calculate the proportion of 18 to 25 year-olds from Essex local authority and Castle Point constituency who were in higher education in 1997 and the latest date for which information is available.
	The numbers of 18 to 25 year-old students from Essex and Castle Point who were enrolled in higher education are shown as an alternative in the table. Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  18-25 year old Enrolments( 1)  from Essex  local authority( 2)  and Castle Point  parliamentary constituency( 2)( : ) UK higher education institutions academic years 1997-98 and 2007-08 
			   1997-98  2007-08 
			 Essex 16,040 21,290 
			 Castle Point 840 1,100 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. (2) Local authority and parliamentary constituency are defined by full and valid home postcodes recorded on the HESA student record.  Notes:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Members: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter of 19 May 2009 from the hon. Member for Castle Point, on his constituent, Mrs Hilton.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 June 2009
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding, this is unacceptable and the hon. Member will receive a response shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Technology plans to reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 15 April 2009, on broadband for pensioners.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 June 2009
	My colleague the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communications, Broadcasting and Technology responded to the hon. Member on 11 June. I apologise for the delay which was caused by the current high volumes of correspondence.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 21 April 2009, on Royal Worcester porcelain.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 June 2009
	My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise apologises for the delay in responding. This is unacceptable and the hon. Member will receive a response shortly

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 7 May 2009 on BWB Consulting Ltd.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 15 June 2009
	 I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding, this is unacceptable and we will respond shortly.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to respond to the hon. Member for Billericay's letter of 21 April 2009 on Visteon, transferred to his Department by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 16 June 2009
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding. My hon. Friend the Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform will respond shortly.

Research Councils: Finance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much in  (a) compensation for foreign exchange exposure,  (b) loans and  (c) other funding his Department has provided for the research councils in addition to the allocations in the 2007 Science Budget.

David Lammy: holding answer 12 June 2009
	 The CSR 2007 allocations to the Research Councils' out of the science and research budget were published in December 2007. Since then there have been additions to the Research Councils' allocations as set out as follows.
	
		
			  (a)  Table 1:  Additional funding to Research Councils in respect of the extra costs of international subscriptions arising from exchange rate changes 
			   Total (000) 
			 2008-09 21,061 
			 2009-10 50,800 
		
	
	
		
			  (b )  Table 2: Temporary loans to Research Councils 
			   Total (000) 
			 2008-09 26,200 
			 2009-10 19,900 
			  Note: The loans were made on the condition that they are repaid by the end of CSR 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  (c) Table 3: Other funding  additional capital allocations to Research Councils in  respect of approved new large facilities projects 
			   Total (000) 
			 2008-09 52,555 
			 2009-10 89,360

Vocational Training

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many under 25 year olds will receive  (a) jobs and  (b) training in the logistics sector under the scheme announced in the Budget 2009;
	(2)  how many under 25 year olds will receive  (a) jobs and  (b) training under the scheme announced in the Budget 2009.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the scheme announced in the Budget, every young person will be offered up to six months work, training or work experience.
	We anticipate creating up to 150,000 new jobs through the Future Jobs Fund, providing at least 100,000 jobs for young people and a significant proportion in areas of high unemployment.
	As well as the Jobs Fund, Jobcentre Plus will work with growth sectors to help up to 100,000 long-term unemployed young people access existing jobs in key employment sectors.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council will be able to offer more than 80,000 training places for young adults who have been unemployed for more than 12 months. We are not yet in a position to be able to predict which sectors jobs and training will be in.

Members: Misconduct

David Drew: To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals to provide for  (a) (i) the suspension from the House and (ii) the dismissal from the House of hon. Members found to have committed serious misdemeanours and  (b) a vote in the constituencies of such hon. members to determine whether they should keep their seats in such cases; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Keeley: The Government will bring forward proposals for a new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority soon.

Public Consultations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how many public consultations have been conducted by her Office since 27 June 2007; what the title of each has been; how many responses to each consultation were received; and what estimate has been made of the total cost incurred for each consultation.

Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has conducted two public consultations since 27 June 2007.
	A consultation on The Governance of BritainThe Government's Draft Legislative Programme began in July 2007. Around 250 individuals, representing a wide variety of organisations and stakeholders, attended a number of events around the country as part of this consultation. The main consultation event was a public engagement led by Ipsos Mori that cost 54,946.06. Responses to the consultation were also received in both letter and e-mail format. Figures are not available on the cost of publication.
	The second public consultation began in May 2008 and was entitled Preparing Britain for the FutureThe Government's Draft Legislative Programme which cost 32,035 to publish. The cost of the consultation exercise for this programme was 30,922.38.
	This programme received the views of around 2,000 people and organisations. These comprised 751 responses to the Leader of the House of Commons' website, at least 1,200 people and organisations who participated in the 58 regional events and 44 individuals and 58 organisations who responded by post.

Civil Servants: Vacancies

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1057W, on civil servants: vacancies, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Protocol on Handling Surplus Staff.

Angela Smith: A copy of the Protocol on Handling Surplus Staff is available on the civil service website:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/strengthening_protocols_tcm6-2846.doc
	Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Cleaning Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations provided cleaning services to the Cabinet Office in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each such contract was in each such year.

Angela Smith: EcovertFM provide the cleaning services as part of a Total FM package for the Cabinet Office and Carillion provide the cleaning services as part of a Total FM package for the EPC at Easingwold, York.
	The Information requested therefore can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Dismissal

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many members of staff in 10 Downing Street were dismissed  (a) for under-performance and  (b) in total in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minister's Office is part of the Cabinet Office.
	In 2003 the Cabinet Office dismissed a total of six people including five people for poor performance. It is the Cabinet Offices policy not to report information which may identify individuals, and therefore the data for 2000-02 and 2004-09 have been withheld.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used on (i) the Cabinet Office estate and (ii) by the Cabinet Office's agency in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09;
	(2)  how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for the Cabinet Office estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans she has for future energy efficiency measures;
	(3)  which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of the Cabinet Office's estate.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office central London estate and including the Emergency Planning College (York), has consumed the following amount of gas and electricity on its estate.
	
		
			  kWh 
			   Electricity  Gas 
			 2004-05 10,992,730 (1) 
			 2005-06 11,388,625 3,559,000 
			 2006-07 11,125,531 4,394,090 
			 2007-08 10,222,068 2,966,949 
			 (1) No accurate data available 
		
	
	The Cabinet Office has participated in the Carbon Trust Carbon Management programme for buildings where it has an influence or control over. It has developed an ongoing action plan which includes projects such as installing lighting controls and improving insulation.
	For the period 2007-08 the Department spent 37,164. The energy efficiency measures are not separately identifiable for 2004-06 and are only partially available for the year 2007. Figures for 2008-09 are still subject to audit and will be available once the Department's 2008-09 accounts have been published; this is expected early July.
	Any major refurbishments or new build which the Cabinet Office undertakes will endeavour to meet BREEAM excellent standard wherever possible in the context of the historic listed nature of much of the Department's estate.
	Two of the Department's key buildings are currently under going modernisation projects. New sustainability measures such as: plans to replace the old boilers and heat-exchange calorifiers with more efficient plant, additional intelligent lighting systems and improvements to thermal insulation. Not all of these have full financial approval yet and other sustainability measures will be considered and incorporated as part of these works, should the funding be made available.
	There are also plans to install voltage reduction equipment installed into four other buildings. Assessment of individual efficiency measures are made whenever it is possible to do so.
	The senior official with responsibility for Sustainable Development is the director of financial and estate management.

Departmental Correspondence

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of letters to his Department from hon. Members' Parliamentary offices were answered within 30 days of the date of receipt in each quarter from January 2008 to March 2009.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Tom Watson) on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 80-86 WS.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent steps he has taken to ensure that NHS organisations comply with the recommendations of the Cabinet Office report on Data Handling in Procedures in Government;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to ensure that data held by NHS organisations on portable devices is securely  (a) stored,  (b) used and  (c) destroyed.

Mike O'Brien: All national health service organisations are individually legally responsible for the data in their possession and for complying with data protection legislation. Relevant recommendations of the Cabinet Office report, including clear expectations relating to secure storage, use and destruction of data, have been included as key requirements within the NHS Information Governance Performance Assessment process. Both the NHS Operating Framework for 2009-10 and the national framework contracts for acute, mental health and ambulance services require compliance with these key requirements as soon as is practicable.
	The NHS Chief Executive has written to chief executives of NHS organisations on a number of occasions to stress the importance of meeting these requirements, and of actively managing risks where the pace at which they can be met is constrained by the need to ensure patient care is not disrupted. Comprehensive guidance, along with free on-line training, free encryption software licences, and secure data transfer mechanisms, have been provided by the Department via NHS Connecting for Health.

Departmental Marketing

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 114W, on departmental marketing, when he expects his Department to complete its review of its advertising expenditure in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department expects to complete its review of its advertising expenditure in the last five years by the time Parliament rises for the summer recess.

Departmental Press

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) newspapers and  (b) periodicals are delivered to the private office of each Minister in his Department; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The information given relates to Library purchases for the Department's Ministers in May 2009 and reflects the ministerial team at the time.
	 Newspapers
	 R t .  H on. Alan Johnson: Secretary of State for Health
	 (All titles are for Monday to Friday)
	 Daily Express
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard First edition
	 Evening Standard West End Final
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Sun
	 Times
	 Yorkshire Post (Regional)
	Total cost: 166.97
	 Ben Bradshaw: Minister of State
	 (All titles are for Monday to Thursday)
	 Daily Express
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard First edition
	 Evening Standard West End Final
	 Express and Echo, Exeter
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Sun
	 Times
	 Western Morning News
	Total cost: 190.93
	 R t .  H on.  Dawn Primarolo: Minister of State
	 (All titles are for Monday to Thursday)
	 Daily Express
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard West End Final
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Sun
	 Times
	Total cost: 107.80
	 Phil Hope: Minister of State
	 (All titles are for Monday to Thursday)
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Mirror
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard First edition
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Sun
	 Times
	Total cost: 109.70
	 Ann Keen: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
	 (All titles are for Monday to Thursday)
	 Daily Express
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Evening Standard First edition
	 Evening Standard West End Final
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 Times
	Total 99.40
	 Periodicals
	 R t .  H on.  Alan Johnson: Secretary of State for Health
	 British Medical Journal
	 Economist
	 Health Service Journal
	 Lancet
	 Public Finance
	 Spectator
	Total cost: 139.95
	 Ben Bradshaw: Minister of State
	 Economist
	 General Practitioner
	 Health Service Journal
	 New Statesman
	 Private Eye
	 Pulse
	 Spectator
	Total: 81.17
	 R t .  H on.  Dawn Primarolo: Minister of State
	 Economist
	Total cost: 20.00
	 Phil Hope: Minister of State
	 Community Care
	 Health Service Journal
	 Private Eye
	Total cost: 23.95
	 Ann Keen: Parliamentary Under-Secretary
	 Economist
	 Health Service Journal
	 New Statesman
	 Nursing Times
	 Private Eye
	 Spectator
	Total cost: 62.10
	 Professor The Lord Darzi, KBE: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
	 Health Service Journal
	 Private Eye
	Total cost: 16.60
	The total cost for newspapers and periodicals for May 2009 is 1,018.57.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on tickets for  (a) air and  (b) rail travel for (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department which were not used in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: All expenditure on air and rail travel has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	The Department has spent the following on tickets booked through our travel-booking contractor which have not been used and have been returned.
	
		
			   
			   Air travel  Rail travel 
			 2006-07 137,555 694,616 
			 2007-08 91,580 341,483 
			 2008-09 98,369 382,176 
		
	
	Returned tickets are refunded to the Department subject to an administration fee.
	The amount refunded to the Department was:
	
		
			   
			   Air travel  Rail travel 
			 2006-07 135,915 629,646 
			 2007-08 90,740 294,223 
			 2008-09 97,106 324,563 
		
	
	It is not possible to break these figures down between ministers, special advisers and civil servants as it would mean going through individual records and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on Ministerial statements for or against fluoridation during a period of public consultation on whether or not to fluoridate a water supply.

Ann Keen: The Government support the fluoridation of water because of the potential it offers for reducing inequalities in oral health. To help inform public consultations, Ministers will, if asked, explain the reasons for their support.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will call in for examination the decision of South Central Strategic Health Authority to introduce fluoridation in Southampton and Totton.

Ann Keen: This would not be appropriate as an application has been made for a judicial review of the decision the South Central strategic health authority to fluoridate Southampton and parts of south west Hampshire.

Incontinence

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts provide an integrated continence service;
	(2)  what plans he has to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the provision of integrated incontinence services.

Phil Hope: The Department no plans to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the provision of integrated continence services.
	Information on the number of primary care trusts that provide an integrated continence service is not collected.

NHS: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage change in the budget for the NHS between 2009-10 and 2010-11 in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms.

Mike O'Brien: Total net national health service resources in 2009-10 is 102,662 million, and in 2010-11 is 105,824 million. The growth in budget in cash terms is 3.1 per cent., and in real terms is 1.6 per cent, (gross domestic product deflators at 23 April 2009).

Prostate Cancer: Medical Treatments

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information is provided in advance to men  (a) considering and  (b) starting hormone therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer;
	(2)  how many men have been treated for adverse affects from hormone therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what support services his Department provides for men undergoing hormone therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer; and whether he plans to increase the level of those services.

Ann Keen: Information on the treatment of prostate cancer, including hormone therapy, is available on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/pathways/prostatecancer/Pages/Landing.aspx
	This also provides links to a number of other useful websites, including the Prostate Cancer Charity, UK Prostate Link and Cancer Research UK, where more detailed information is available.
	The Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) acknowledges the importance of all patients with cancer receiving information at each stage of the patient pathway. The National Cancer Action Team has been working with a number of cancer charities, the cancer networks and over 30 national health service trusts to develop national cancer patient information pathways, which make information available to health professionals to offer to patients at key points in their cancer journey.
	Information for men considering or starting hormone therapy for prostate cancer is covered in the national cancer information pathway for prostate cancer, which has been developed with input from Cancer Backup, Cancer Research UK and the Prostate Cancer Charity. This information pathway currently offers over 70 publications covering a range of topics relating to prostate cancer, including hormone therapy. It includes information on why, how and when hormone therapy is given, the types of hormone therapy available and potential side effects. In addition, individual trusts may have local information on hormone therapy to offer to men.
	The national cancer information pathways are currently being piloted in 71 sites, and national roll out of an electronic information delivery system is expected to take place in 2010.
	Information on the number of men who have been treated for adverse effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer is not collected centrally.
	Primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, including support services for patients.
	In 2008, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. The guidelines recommend that men with prostate cancer should have the opportunity to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, in partnership with their healthcare professionals. This guidance also makes recommendations on the use of hormonal therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer, and the management of any complications. It is available on NICE'S website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byIDo=11924

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 391-4W, on tranquillisers, for what reasons the number of prescriptions for the anti-epileptic drugs clobazam and clonazepam dispensed increased in 2008.

Mike O'Brien: The data available does not include any information other than the volume and costs of the prescription items.
	No additional analysis has been made of the reasons for these increases.